Essence Devouring Art

Wulian Mountain.

The five-colored light of the Five Elements Primordial Magnetism intertwined and blazed, dyeing the world in its hues. The murderous light of countless Divine Techniques bore down, causing the void to ceaselessly crack and shatter.

Twenty-eight hundred zhang!

The domain at the very limit of Dao Embryo Four Transformations!

Under the silent, horrified gazes of Qiu Tianjing, Elder Wu, and all the disciples at the foot of the mountain.

Myriad fragments of a golden human body.

They pressed against the almost tangible five-colored primordial magnetic light and the onslaught of Divine Techniques, slowly but surely climbing toward the summit.

The speed was slow.

One could even call it squirming.

But the advance never halted for a moment, and not a single cry of pain was heard.

The shock was indescribable.

It deeply stirred the soul of every person watching.

They asked themselves honestly.

If their own bodies had been so miserably mangled, their flesh and bones shattered to pieces,

they would have long been consumed by terror, losing all presence of mind. Forget climbing further—just keeping their True Self from dissipating would have been an insurmountable challenge.

But Wu Dao...

”He deserves every bit of his success!”

Qiu Tianjing’s face was filled with admiration. Honestly, if not for Wu Dao’s untamable and uncontrollable nature, he would have wanted to accept him as a disciple on his master’s behalf right then and there.

Peerless, monstrous talent.

Combined with such terrifyingly unparalleled willpower.

If he didn’t die prematurely,

his future accomplishments would be unimaginable!

”Twenty-eight hundred zhang... Is he actually going to make it to the summit?”

A numb voice rose from among the disciples, laced with irrepressible excitement, terror, and trembling.

Twenty-eight hundred zhang!

The Dao Embryo Five Transformations, the Great Divine Power Domain!

Hhhh—

Qiu Tianjing and Elder Wu drew a sharp breath, their expressions turning incredibly grave. They were ready to terminate the climb at any moment.

Wuliang Mountain was three thousand zhang high!

The most dangerous part was the final two hundred zhang to the summit!

Divine Techniques and Great Divine Techniques!

The difference of a single word represented a world of difference in Mighty Power.

On Wuliang Mountain today,

aside from Prince Nanyang and the previous Martial King, no one had been able to ascend to that domain.

Even Qiu Tianjing, at the Peak of Dao Embryo Four Transformations, could only stop at twenty-nine hundred zhang. Any higher, and his life would be in danger.

But Wu Dao, who was merely a Celestial Being...

BOOM—BANG!!

As these thoughts churned in Qiu Tianjing’s mind,

Wu Dao stepped into the twenty-eight-hundred-zhang domain. The Five Elements Magnetic Power and the imprints of Great Divine Techniques left by powerhouses of ages past erupted in a frenzy, swallowing everything like an abyssal, boundless sea.

In the final flash of brilliant light,

all the crowd could see was Wu Dao’s myriad bodily fragments being instantly crushed into the form of countless golden grains of sand.

After that...

all perception was blocked.

Aside from Elder Wu, who controlled the Grand Array of Wuliang Mountain, and Qiu Tianjing, who was at the Peak of Dao Embryo Four Transformations, the others could only see a raging, boundless, world-destroying multicolored divine light.

”Martial King...”

Uncertain if Wu Dao was alive or dead, the disciples felt an inexplicable mix of anxiety and grief. They all looked toward Qiu Tianjing.

”He’s... he’s fine.”

Qiu Tianjing shook his head, then looked at Elder Wu, who gave a solemn nod.

Then...

BUZZ!

Elder Wu used the Array Activation Token to communicate with Wuliang Mountain. Multicolored lights intertwined in the sky, revealing the scene within the twenty-eight-hundred-zhang domain.

”Hiss, it’s still moving!?”

The next moment,

a series of sharp gasps rang out.

On the ”seabed” at the bottom of the raging, vast ocean of multicolored light displayed in the sky’s projection of Wuliang Mountain,

countless golden grains of flesh and bone, smaller than ants, were slowly extending tentacles like a Sea Star, grabbing the ground, and ceaselessly climbing upward.

Twenty-eight hundred and ten zhang...

Twenty-eight hundred and fifty zhang...

BOOM!!

An even more immense suppressive Power crushed down.

The countless pieces of flesh and bone, already in the state of sand grains, were instantly shattered again, each splitting in two, becoming even more minuscule.

But even so!

Wu Dao’s ”steps” did not stop!

More tiny, horsehair-worm-like tentacles extended from the divided fragments of flesh, sticking to the path ahead like spun silk and using their retraction to pull the pieces of flesh upward.

Twenty-eight hundred and sixty zhang...

Twenty-eight hundred and seventy zhang...

...

Time slowly trickled by.

Wu Dao’s pace was slow. He had to pause for a long while after crossing every zhang before moving again.

At some point, the stars and moon were already vying for brilliance in the world outside. But the crowd at the foot of Wuliang Mountain remained frozen, their eyes wide and fixed on the moving, pixelated-looking mass of golden particles in the sky’s projection.

BOOM!!

After an unknown amount of time,

Wu Dao finally broke free from the twenty-eight-hundred-zhang domain and stepped into the final hundred zhang—the Daoist Embryo Five Transformations Peak Domain!

In just an instant!

He was crushed into a blood mist interwoven with golden electrical currents!

But he still wasn’t dead!

Finer-than-spider-silk threads of electrical current even extended from the blood mist, grabbing onto the void and swinging upward as if on a swing set, climbing ceaselessly.

”Immortal in blood mist!”

This perception-shattering scene made Qiu Tianjing’s lips tremble.

A physique ability worthy of being called a Great Divine Technique like this should only be possible at the Ninth Gate of Transverse Cultivation!

Wu Dao is only at the Seventh Gate!

How did he do it?

How was it possible?

Qiu Tianjing couldn’t possibly imagine it.

He couldn’t fathom how Wu Dao’s physical body had been forged to possess such an incredible ability at just the Seventh Gate!

At the same time!

On Wuliang Mountain!

At twenty-nine hundred and fifty zhang!!

RUMBLE—

The fully solidified light of the Five Elements Primordial Magnetism and the Power of Slaughter from various Great Divine Techniques relentlessly suppressed Wu Dao’s spirit and body.

With every inch he moved,

he felt as if he were carrying an Ancient Divine Mountain. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit were all on the verge of collapse, about to be crushed into nothingness at any moment, making it impossible to move even a fraction more!

It seemed he had reached the end of his rope.

That he could only stop here.

’But how can I stop!’

’The last fifty zhang!’

’It’s merely fifty zhang!’

At this thought,

Wu Dao controlled the magnetic currents. While resisting the suppressive Power, he slowly absorbed wisps of the Five Elements Magnetic Field Power and began to condense his blood mist.

Normally,

it would be absolutely impossible for him to set foot in this domain. After all, the Power of a Great Divine Power User was not something his current self could possibly resist!

However, his affinity with the Life Magnetic Power and the Five Elements Magnet Divine Mountain had opened a back door for him, greatly reducing the killing Power.

The Power of Slaughter he actually faced in this domain was far from the level of a Great Divine Technique. This was how he had managed to accomplish this impossible feat.

Therefore.

’If I want to reach the summit,’

’then before that back door closes completely, I must use every last ounce of my strength to cross these last fifty zhang in an instant!’

If he proceeded step-by-step,

Wu Dao was certain he would be ground to death in this final fifty-zhang domain.

Of course,

with Elder Wu and Qiu Tianjing present,

they could stop the Wuliang Mountain trial at any time. He wouldn’t die, but reaching the summit would be utterly impossible.

He could also just give up.

Wait until he was stronger in the future and come back to climb it then.

’But what would be the point of that?’

’The essence of a Heaven Stealer is to constantly challenge the limits of the human body, to unearth one’s potential amidst the great terror at the edge of life and death.’

’Something done easily...’

’...can hardly be called a limit.’

’So...’

’...let’s go crazy one more time!!’

BZZZZ—

As his thoughts surged,

Wu Dao had already finished condensing the blood mist. The magnetic currents formed a golden, thousand-layered sphere the size of a balloon.

”This is...”

At the foot of Wuliang Mountain,

Qiu Tianjing saw Wu Dao begin to contract himself, turning into a golden electric ball the size of a bouncy ball, and his brow twitched.

Elder Wu, who controlled Wuliang Mountain’s Array, tensed up, on high alert and ready to end the climb at any moment.

Because...

he could feel it.

Wu Dao was about to risk it all!

After constructing the thousand-layered golden sphere below the summit of Wuliang Mountain,

Wu Dao didn’t hesitate for a second!

CRACKLE—

The magnetic currents surged and connected.

For the first time, he manipulated and mobilized the surrounding Magnetic Field Power, forming a five-colored magnetic slingshot. After pulling it taut, it launched the thousand-layered golden sphere he had become hurtling toward the summit!

BANG BANG BANG—

The instant he mobilized the Magnetic Field of the summit’s domain, a backlash no less severe than when he had forcibly commandeered the red Celestial Thunder slammed down on him.

The thousand-layered magnetic shield

was instantly crushed by several hundred layers!

But it was worth it!

Accelerated by the magnetic slingshot,

the golden sphere vanished from its original spot at an unimaginable speed.

So much so,

that the utterly berserk Five Elements Magnetic Divine Light and the killing Power of the many Great Divine Techniques in the final fifty zhang were a beat too slow.

But even being a beat too slow,

even if it was just a sliver of the Mighty Power of a Peak of Five Transformations Great Divine Technique,

the moment it struck,

it still instantly and madly shattered the remaining several hundred layers of the Energy Shield protecting the golden sphere as if it were rotten wood!

Twenty-nine hundred and sixty zhang...

The last two hundred layers of the shield!

Twenty-nine hundred and seventy zhang!

One hundred layers!

Twenty-nine hundred and eighty zhang!

Fifty layers!

Twenty-nine hundred and ninety zhang!

Ten layers!

If the world were to freeze at this moment,

one could clearly see, within the last ten layers of the electromagnetic shield, a golden mass of flesh and bone the size of a baby’s fist, throbbing like a heart or a brain.

Twenty-nine hundred and ninety-nine zhang!

The steles on the summit stood tall, holding up the heavens!

The steles representing Wuliang Mountain’s ultimate legacy were right before his eyes!

But...

BANG!

The last ten layers of the shield shattered!!

The utterly terrifying suppressive and killing Power once again bore down directly on Wu Dao’s ”body!”

In the nearly frozen world,

one could see the fist-sized mass of flesh begin to disintegrate from the outside in, turning into nothingness.

Life and death in an instant!

Down at the base of Wuliang Mountain, horror slowly dawned on the faces of Qiu Tianjing and Elder Wu. The latter frantically communicated with Wuliang Mountain, issuing the command to terminate.

The pupils of the disciples constricted one by one, their eyes nearly splitting from their sockets. They slowly opened their mouths, about to scream.

But!

Wu Dao was faster than them!

Before Elder Wu’s thought to terminate could even be sent!

The golden piece of flesh, having disintegrated down to the size of a thumb, had already crossed the final zhang and burst into the space above the Five-Colored Stone Platform on the summit—

He had reached the summit of Wuliang Mountain!!

RUMBLE—

An instant after the thought,

Wuliang Mountain received Elder Wu’s command to end the trial. The surging Five Elements Magnetic Power and the revived Divine Power of the many experts’ imprints,

starting from the foot of the mountain,

receded like a tide, quickly returning to calm and revealing the mountain body of Wuliang Mountain’s Five-Colored Divine Stone.

”No!”

”Quick, save him!”

”Alliance Leader Wu!!”

Only now,

did the hoarse cries of the many Direct Disciples finally escape their lips. Some of the more impulsive ones had even taken to the air, wanting to save Wu Dao.

A mythical miracle was playing out before their very eyes!

How could they just watch it be destroyed!

”Insolence!”

Elder Wu’s heart had just been on a roller coaster, and his face was still a little pale. But seeing some disciples about to trespass on the ancestral mountain, he immediately barked a reprimand.

Then,

he met the many confused gazes, took a deep breath, and said, ”Alliance Leader Wu is... is fine... On the contrary.”

His tone shifted.

An irrepressible smile spread across his lips as he praised from the bottom of his heart, ”At the last moment, he successfully reached the summit!”

WHOOSH—

As soon as these words were spoken,

”He did it, he really did it!”

”Good heavens, could Alliance Leader Wu be the Reincarnation of a divine being?”

”From this day forward, Alliance Leader Wu is the supreme monument in my, Bi’s, heart, the one who will guide me forward...”

The many Direct Disciples burst into an uproar, their faces filled with shock and joy. They were ecstatic, wishing they could run and tell everyone immediately.

At the Heavenly Human Realm!

He reached the summit of the three-thousand-zhang Wuliang Mountain!

Before,

they wouldn’t have even dared to imagine it, and would have considered it baseless nonsense.

But today!

Wu Dao taught them a lesson with his actions—

There is no such thing as impossible, only people who cannot do it!

Unprecedented!

And likely never to be seen again!

A new legend was born!

...

The clamor at the foot of Wuliang Mountain

did not last long.

BOOM—

As Wu Dao reached the summit,

the steles left by the many Great Divine Power Users on the peak began to hum and tremble wildly. They shone with brilliant splendor, and without exception, they all spewed forth a Divine Light that flooded the heavens and earth.

Down at the foot of the mountain, the disciples who saw this, and even Elder Wu and Qiu Tianjing, had gazes that bloomed with incomparable envy.

All thirty-three Great Divine Power Steles lit up!

This proved...

that all the Great Divine Power Users who had ever reached the summit had been completely won over by Wu Dao!

Thirty-three Great Divine Techniques that led directly to the Daoist Embryo Nine Transformations Peak!

As long as he reached out his hand!

Not a single one would refuse him!

They would even fight to beg him to cultivate them!

”A pity... what a pity!”

As the light of the many Great Divine Techniques flooded the brilliant world, Qiu Tianjing sighed with regret.

Wu Dao had no Dantian.

He couldn’t even condense Heavenly Spirit and Earthly Fiend Qi.

Let alone a Divine Power Seed, or the Dao Embryo needed to carry a Great Divine Technique.

Among the thirty-three Great Divine Techniques,

he could only choose the Transverse Refining Dao, which had no restrictions but was a thousand times more difficult than any other Great Divine Technique.

Although Wu Dao had a clear goal from the start,

Qiu Tianjing, who knew exactly what those thirty-three Great Divine Techniques were, still felt a sense of regret for Wu Dao.